But this was too much for his audience. It was the fourth time he had let loose that “Well, they did an’ they didn’t.” The punchers felt justified in ringing down the curtain, which they did by the simple process of tipping over the bench Pop was sitting on.
Teddy and Roy, who had been listening, wandered toward the house.
“I kind of wish he was coming with us,” Teddy chuckled. “Make it a little livelier.”
“He’ll be better on the ranch,” Roy replied. “Dad wants some one he can depend on. Boy, it sure is a grand and glorious feeling to know we’re going to take a crack at gold mining! And something tells me we’re going to be successful, too! Well, let’s see now—a house on Fifth Avenue, New York, a winter place in Florida, a shooting box in Canada for the fall months, a château in France, a—”
“Hey, how many seasons you think the year’s got?”
“Oh, well, personally, I’m going to live right here all year,” Roy said simply. “I just want those things, in case.”
“Uh-huh,” Teddy grunted. “You find the gold first. Baby, I’m tired! Let’s hit the hay. We have plenty to do to-morrow.”
In truth, there was “plenty to do” before the young prospectors could start for Nugget Camp. Bug Eye left early for the 8 X 8, and arranged to meet the others at the new strike within four days. Then Teddy and Roy began their preparations.
There were four of them from the X Bar X going—Teddy and Roy Manley, Nick Looker, and Silent Neville. Silent, who had been mining before, was called into consultation.
“Besides the broncs, we’ll need, say, three mules,” he declared. “That’s for our packs an’ stuff.”